Students with Mental Retardation/ Intellectual Disabilities

1. Students with Mental Retardation/ Intellectual Disabilities Chapter 5

2. What is the History of Mental Retardation/Intellectual Disabilities? • Early History • Rejection and isolation • 20th Century • Hospitals and institutions were provided. • Eugenics movement • Rise of advocacy organizations and court challenges • Passage of IDEA in 1975

3. Why the Use of Two Terms? • Mental Retardation vs. Intellectual Disabilities • Negative connotations for MR, but used in IDEA 04 • ID is less stigmatizing, but may be a less clear term than MR

4. What is the IDEA 04 Definition? • Mental retardation is “significantly sub-average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” • IQ below 70-75 • Deficits in adaptive behaviors • Present before age 18 • Adversely affects educational performance

5. How Are Students Classified? • Severity (Used in schools since the 1980s and based on IQ) • Mild = 50 to 70-75, Moderate = 35 to 50 • Severe = 20 to 35, Profound = Below 20 • AAMR Levels of Support Needed • Intermittent • Limited • Extensive • Pervasive

6. What is the Prevalence of Mental Retardation/Intellectual Disabilities? • 1% of students in school are classified as having mental retardation. • Overrepresentation of some minority groups – greater likelihood of identification as having mental retardation among African Americans. • 56% males (aged 6-17)

7. What are the Causes of Intellectual Disabilities? • Genetic and Chromosomal – Examples include: • Tuberous Sclerosis, Neurofibromatosis, PKU, Galactosemia, Hurler Syndrome, Tay Sachs, Hunter Syndrome, Lesch-Nyan Syndrome, Fragile X, Rett Syndrome, Down Syndrome • Environmental – Examples include: • Toxoplasmosis, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Radiation, Malnutrition, Maternal Age, Maternal Health, Drug and Substance Abuse, Blood Type Incompatibility • Psychosocial Factors – Examples include: • Poverty, Malnutrition, Inadequate Health Care • May contribute to mental retardation rather than be a direct cause

8. Can Mental Retardation/Intellectual Disabilities Be Prevented? • Medical Technology and Testing • Magnetic imaging and computer tomography • Amniocentensis and Chorion villus sampling • Good Prenatal Care and Early Intervention Services

9. What are Possible Characteristics of Students with Intellectual Disabilities? • Difficulties learning • Deficits in social-personal skills • Deficits in adaptive behavior skills • Attention difficulties • Memory deficits • Difficulty transferring and generalizing skills • Speech and Language delays

10. How are Students with Mental Retardation Identified? • Intelligence Testing (IQ below 70-75) • Adaptive Skills Assessments (deficits in adaptive skills) • Academic Skills Assessments (adversely affects educational performance)

11. What Do I Teach Students with Intellectual Disabilities? • Person-centered planning • Basic academic skills • Functional curriculum • Functional academics, independent life skills, self-determination, self-advocacy • Community-based instruction • Transition planning

12. How Do I Teach Students with Intellectual Disabilities? • Direct instruction with clear objectives, advance organizers, “think-aloud” model, guided practice, independent practice, post-organizers • Focus on task analysis • Focus on sequencing tasks for recognition, recall, reconstruction • Focus on presentation and practice, including use of prompts • Generalization

13. What Are Considerations for the Instructional Environment? • Create a flexible classroom arrangement • Use natural environments • Location of materials • Provide quiet areas • Provide areas for play and communication • Carrels, tables, desks • Job skills areas • Groupings • Cooperative learning • Peer tutoring • Whole group

14. What Types of Instructional Technology Can be Used? • Technology that removes barriers • Talking calculators • Voice recognition software • Technology that adapts the curriculum • Use of computers to supplement instruction • Best Buddies International (e-Buddies) • User-friendly materials • Alternative forms of communication • Consider the diverse backgrounds and family needs

15. What are Some Considerations for the General Education Teacher? • Have high expectations for success • Make accommodations and adapations as needed • Consider cascade of integration options • Plan and explicitly teach skills • Encourage self-determination • Utilize inclusive service-learning